Translating a simple paragraph (Exercise 2-13)

[laepelba]

Continuing to work through a book of basic Spanish grammar exercises, in an attempt to fill in some of the "holes" in the learning that I've done so far. It has been (I believe) very fruitful so far.

One of the exercises in the section on "present tense verbs with stem changes" asks me to translate a simple paragraph from English to Spanish. I did okay for the most part - only needed to look up a small handful of words, and the majority of the errors I made (according to their "answer" in the back of the book) were prepositions, etc. (I'm a bit frustrated because I KNOW to use a personal "a" when the direct object is a person ... why do I always forget it!?)

I want to ask some questions, though. So I'm going to include here (1) the original English paragraph, (2) my original translation, and (3) the "corrected" translation. I will indicate my questions at the bottom of this post.

Original English Paragraph	My first attempt at translation	The "corrected" translation
At "Casa Marcelo" I greet the customers. I show them the menu. I always suggest the special of the day. While I work, I dream a lot. My dream? This is my dream: I am a movie star. Why not? I am 5'10" and I am good-looking. I confess I am a bit shy. I bite my nails when I have an audition. But I want to be a famous movie star. In my dreams, my agent finds the perfect role in an action movie. In one of the scenes, I find many clues, and I follow three men. They spy for the enemy and I fight hard to stop their crimes. The three men die in an ambush inside a tunnel. At the movie houses, the audiences shake in their seats and scream. The phone rings ... I wake up from my dream. A customer wants to come here tonight at eight, and he asks for a table near a window. They all want a table near a window! I go back to my dream. I prefer to go back to my dream and be a spy.	En "Casa Marcelo" saludo los clientes. Les muestro el menú. Siempre sugiero la especialidad del día. Mientras trabajo, ensueño mucho. ¿Mi ensueño? Esto es mi ensueño: soy estrella de cine. ¿Por qué no? Soy 5'10" y soy bien parecida. Confieso estoy una poca tímida. Muerdo las uñas cuando tengo una audición. Pero quiero ser estrella de cine famosa. En mis ensueños, mi agente encuentra el papel perfecto en una película de acción. En unas de las escenas, encuentro muchas pistas, y sigo tres hombres. Espían para el enemigo, y peleo duro para dejer sus crimines. Los tres hombres se mueren en una emboscada adentro de un túnel. En los cines, los públicos temblequean en sus asientos y gritan. El teléfono suena ... me despierto de mi ensueño. Un cliente quiere venir aquí a las ocho, y pide por una mesa cerca de una ventana. ¡Todos quieren una mesa cerca de una ventana! Vuelvo a mi ensueño. Prefiero volver a mi ensueño y ser espía.	En "Casa Marcelo" saludo a los clientes. Les muestro el menú. Siempre sugiero (1) la especialidad el plato del día. Mientras trabajo, (2) ensueño mucho. ¿Mi ensueño? Estoe es mi ensueño: soy (3) una estrella de cine. ¿Por qué no? Soy Mido 5'10" 5 pies y 10 pulgadas y soy (4) bien parecida guapa. Confieso estoy que (5) soy una poca tímida. (6) Me muerdo las uñas cuando tengo una audición. Pero quiero ser (3) una estrella de cine famosa. En mis ensueños, mi agente encuentra el papel perfecto en una película de acción. En unas de las escenas, encuentro muchas pistas, y sigo (7) persigo a tres hombres. Espían para el enemigo, y peleo duro para dejer (8) impedir sus crímines. Los tres hombres (9) se mueren en una emboscada (10) adentro de un túnel. En los cines, los públicos (11) espectadores temblequean (12) tiemblan en sus asientos y gritan. El teléfono suena ... me despierto de mi ensueño. Un cliente quiere venir aquí esta noche a las ocho, y pide (13) por una mesa cerca de una ventana. ¡Todos quieren una mesa cerca de una ventana! Vuelvo (14) Regreso a mi ensueño. Prefiero volver (14) regresar a mi ensueño y ser (3) una espía.

My questions are as follows:
(1) Are the two exchangeable here?
(2) This happens several times (as you can see). The dictionary seems to distinguish between "sueño" (night time dreams while asleep) and "ensueño" (daydreams). Is that correct? Or is "sueño" better or interchangeable or what??
(3) This happens three times. I was taught that you don't use an article before a profession. "Soy profesora." Right? So why did they add "una" before "estrella de cine"?
(4) Are the two exchangeable here?
(5) I get that I missed the "que". But why "soy" instead of "estoy"? Is shyness something innate? Or is it something that can be changed over time? Hmmm.....
(6) Why the "me"? Is it "morder" or "morderse"? Or is the "me" there because it is something that I am doing to myself?
(7) Why perseguir instead of seguir?
(8) I meant to say "dejar" (okay, major spelling error), but are "dejar" and "impedir" exchangeable here?
(9) I thought that it was "morirse". No?
(10) What is the difference between "adentro" and "dentro"?
(11) So this book gives a small word bank with each translation exercise with a few of the words to be used in the paragraph. The word that they gave in the word bank for audience was "público". Why would they give "público" if they wanted me to use "espectadores"!!?? And, are the two exchangeable?
(12) Are the two exchangeable here?
(13) Does "pedir" imply the "por"? Or is it okay to have "por" after "pedir"?
(14) In this context, are "volver" and "regresar" exchangeable? What is the difference?

Thank you VERY much for taking your time to look at my paragraph!

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by laepelba

En "Casa Marcelo" saludo a los clientes. Les muestro el menú. Siempre sugiero (1) la especialidad el plato del día. Mientras trabajo, (2) ensueño mucho. ¿Mi ensueño? Estoe es mi ensueño: soy (3) una estrella de cine. ¿Por qué no? Soy Mido 5'10" 5 pies y 10 pulgadas y soy (4) bien parecida guapa. Confieso estoy que (5) soy un poco tímida. (6) Me muerdo las uñas cuando tengo una audición. Pero quiero ser (3) una estrella de cine famosa. En mis ensueños, mi agente encuentra el papel perfecto en una película de acción. En unas de las escenas, encuentro muchas pistas, y sigo (7) persigo a tres hombres. Espían para el enemigo, y peleo duro para dejer (8) impedir sus crímenes. Los tres hombres (9) se mueren en una emboscada (10) adentro de un túnel. En los cines, los públicos (11) espectadores temblequean (12) tiemblan en sus asientos y gritan. El teléfono suena ... me despierto de mi ensueño. Un cliente quiere venir aquí esta noche a las ocho, y pide (13) por una mesa cerca de una ventana. ¡Todos quieren una mesa cerca de una ventana! Vuelvo (14) Regreso a mi ensueño. Prefiero volver (14) regresar a mi ensueño y ser (3) una espía.

(1) Are the two exchangeable here?
-- "la especialidad" and "el plato" are exchangeable.


(2) This happens several times (as you can see). The dictionary seems to distinguish between "sueño" (night time dreams while asleep) and "ensueño" (daydreams). Is that correct? Or is "sueño" better or interchangeable or what??
-- I wouldn't say "ensueño" is a wrong word here, but "sueño" is more generally used, both for dreaming and for daydreaming.


(3) This happens three times. I was taught that you don't use an article before a profession. "Soy profesora." Right? So why did they add "una" before "estrella de cine"?
-- "Una" could have been neglected, but it adds some emphasis on your character of movie star or spy. (You're a good one)
(Still, being a movie star or a spy are not the usual kind of things one expects as a "job", so I guess that's also something that makes them different).


(4) Are the two exchangeable here?
-- "Medir" is the right verb for expressing your height.
"Bien parecido" is used for men. "Guapo"/"guapa" are used for both genders.


(5) I get that I missed the "que". But why "soy" instead of "estoy"? Is shyness something innate? Or is it something that can be changed over time? Hmmm.....
-- Being shy is a part of your personality; although it can be changed, it's something you'll always have within you.


(6) Why the "me"? Is it "morder" or "morderse"? Or is the "me" there because it is something that I am doing to myself?
-- Remember the story about "cubren su rostro" and "se cubren el rostro"? Same here. You bite your nails, and since it's a very personal activity, "muerdo mis uñas" would sound weird.


(7) Why perseguir instead of seguir?
-- You're hunting after the men, they're not guiding you to follow them.
"Seguir (a alguien)" implies that leader-follower thing.


(8) I meant to say "dejar" (okay, major spelling error), but are "dejar" and "impedir" exchangeable here?
-- "Dejar", in this case, it would be "to allow".
- Dejo que cometan sus crímenes (I let them do their crimes).
"Dejar de (hacer algo)" is used from the point of view of the one who stops or quits doing something. If you want to stop someone from doing something, "impedir" is the right verb.


(9) I thought that it was "morirse". No?
-- "Morirse" is used when there is something "spontaneous" about dying. Since they were ambushed, it's not pronominal.
"Se murieron" would be as if they had arrived to the place of the ambush and dropped dead without anyone doing anything to kill them.


(10) What is the difference between "adentro" and "dentro"?
-- "dentro de (un lugar)"; "adentro" when you already know where inside.
"Los hombres corrieron dentro del túnel. Allí adentro, estaba oscuro."


(11) So this book gives a small word bank with each translation exercise with a few of the words to be used in the paragraph. The word that they gave in the word bank for audience was "público". Why would they give "público" if they wanted me to use "espectadores"!!?? And, are the two exchangeable?
-- "El público" = "los espectadores" = the audience.
In the logic that every movie house has its own audience ("the audiences"), you were right to use "los públicos", but in Spanish "el público" is already a collective noun and your sentence should have been:
En los cines, el público tiembla en su asiento.


(12) Are the two exchangeable here?
-- No. "Temblequear" is by no means the same as "temblar".
"temblar" is because of fright, of cold, of excitement...
"temblequear" is a pejorative mostly associated with cowardice.


(13) Does "pedir" imply the "por"? Or is it okay to have "por" after "pedir"?
-- "Pedir por (alguien/algo)" is associated with praying, except "pedir por favor" (to say "please" when asking for something).
- Pedimos por la salud de nuestro padre.
- Le pedimos al Señor por la paz mundial.
General forms: "pedir algo" or "pedirle algo a alguien".
- Pedí una pizza.
- La vecina me pidió la pala que me había prestado para quitar la nieve.
- Le pedimos al médico que viniera mañana.


(14) In this context, are "volver" and "regresar" exchangeable? What is the difference?
-- "Volver" and "regresar" are synonyms here.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

(6) Why the "me"? Is it "morder" or "morderse"? Or is the "me" there because it is something that I am doing to myself?
-- Remember the story about "cubren su rostro" and "se cubren el rostro"? Same here. You bite your nails, and since it's a very personal activity, "muerdo mis uñas" would sound weird.

- La vecina me pidió la pala que me había prestado para quitar la nieve.

Malila - THANK YOU for your extensive answers to my questions. They all make perfect sense! VERY helpful. And you even worked in my snow shovel dilemma. You're good!!

So, in #6 - I wrote "muerdo las uñas". I figured that it wouldn't be "mis". I still don't have a feel for when to use the reflexive pronouns ... but I'll have to let that come to me.

Thank you again for your time and energy spent on this!!!

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

Originally Posted by laepelba

So, in #6 - I wrote "muerdo las uñas". I figured that it wouldn't be "mis". I still don't have a feel for when to use the reflexive pronouns ... but I'll have to let that come to me.

"Muerdo las uñas" would mean you bite the nails of any hand close to you.

And "me muerdo mis uñas" is an unnecessary emphasis (rather a pleonasm) on whose nails you bite.


I'm glad explanations make sense to you. It's like solving an integration by parts. Good for the brain.

[Here4good]

Originally Posted by laepelba

Malila - THANK YOU for your extensive answers to my questions. They all make perfect sense! VERY helpful. And you even worked in my snow shovel dilemma. You're good!!

Thank you again for your time and energy spent on this!!!

Yes, thanks, for the corrections and thanks to laepelba for posting this in the first place.

Se supone que tendría que saber todo esto, pero siempre hay algo en estos ejercicios que se me escapa. Yo también tenía dudas con
una estrella de cine
público o espectadores
volver y regresar
Y la explicación de pedir por cuando uno está rezando era muy interesante. Será que tengo que practicar más (o sea ir a la iglesia) para realmente aprenderlo...

¡Gracias!

[laepelba]

Actually, Malila, I have another quick question. The reason that I didn't mark "una poca" as incorrect is that I was writing in my own voice, so using feminine endings. The answer in the book used masculine endings. If I'm using tímida, why not una poca?

(@Here4good - I'm glad my questions can help you! We're all on the same journey! )

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

@Here4good: I'm glad you found it useful too.


@Lou Ann: I thought you wouldn't ask, and I can't give a proper answer to that.

In "soy un poco tímida", "poco" is an adverb. Those don't change to fit the gender and number.
"Soy una poca tímida" would imply "poca" is a noun, as if "little" became a noun: "I am a shy little" ( )
Some adverbs can be: nunca, siempre, despacio, lento, lejos, cerca, mucho, poco, muy, también, tampoco, ..., those words ending in -mente (fácilmente, amablemente, generalmente).


Estamos unos pocos un poco cansados.
We're a bit tired.
Unos pocos estamos cansados.
Some of us are tired.

La comida sabe rica rico. (Food tastes good.)
La comida está increíblemente rica. (Food is incredibly good.)
Difference here is that "rico" affects the verb "to taste" and "rica" is an adjective to the food, while "increíblemente" is the adverb modifying "estar".

Los niños de ese coro cantan mejores mejor que nosotros.
The children in that choir sing better than we do.
"Mejor" modifies "cantan".
Los niños de ese coro cantan mejores canciones que nosotros.
The children in that choir sing better songs than we do.
"Mejores" modifies "canciones"


Explicar gramática es muy difícil.
Explaining grammar is very hard.

[laepelba]

Originally Posted by AngelicaDeAlquezar

Explicar gramática es muy difícil.
Explaining grammar is very hard.

YES, I can appreciate that! Thank you for your great explanation, though!!